70 G. M. Giles — Description o/Melita megaclieles. [No. 2, 



Melita megacheles, n. sp. 



Body generally depressed rather than compressed. Broadest at the 

 middle of the thorax, thence tapering to head and abdomen. 



Head subquadrate, longer than broad, its depth nearly equalling 

 its length, irregularly mottled with chocolate- coloured spots. Eyes 

 situated at the anterior angles of the carapace, compound, prominent, of 

 a coppery violet colour. Antennules hairy, robust, as long as the head 

 and the anterior six segments of the thorax ; peduncle three-jointed, 

 middle joint the longest ; flagellum as long as the first two joints of the 

 peduncle ; a minute appendage, as long as the last joint of the peduncle, 

 with a dilated antepenultimate joint, springs with the flagellum from the 

 peduncle. Antennas hairy, slightly shorter than the antennules, arising 

 a little below and behind them ; peduncle four-jointed, coxocerite short, 

 its antero-inferior angle prolonged into a pointed prominence ; third 

 joint the longest, flagellum equals this in length. Mandibles triangular 

 with a long pediform appendage. 



Thorax depressed. The posterior three-fourths of each segment deco- 

 rated with winged patches of madder-brown pigment, except the first 

 and seventh, which are only faintly mottled. Coxal plates considerably less 

 in depth than the segments, decreasing in size from before backwards ; 

 the anterior plate quadrangular with its anterior inferior angle prolonged 

 into a beak-like process ; the remaining plates foliiform, each with a 

 central patch of pigment. Maxillipedes small, pediform. 2nd pair of 

 appendages (1st gnathopod) very hairy, nearly the smallest of the 

 ambulatory limbs ; propodite with palm so vague as to be exunguiculate 

 rather than subchelate. 3rd pair of appendages (2nd gnathopod) of rela- 

 tively immense size ; dactylopodite with its posterior margin entire 

 except for two slight smooth prominences ; propodite more than twice 

 as wide as the depth of the thorax, quadrangular, with rounded corners, 

 its inferior border furnished with four large reserrations with three isolat- 

 ed bundles of hairs in the intervals. 4th and 5th pairs of appendages 

 subequal, hairy, exunguiculate, closely resembling each other in every 

 detail, closely approaching in length to 2nd gnathopod. 6th pair of 

 appendages the shortest of the ambulatory limbs ; the basipodite having 

 its posterior border strengthened by a lamellar, buttress-like expansion ; 

 the dactylopodite forming a strong claw. 7th and 8th pairs of appen- 

 dages much resembling each other, but the 8th considerably the larger in 

 all points ; basipodites with buttresses like the 6th pair of appendages ; 

 the daclylopodites forming long strong claws ; the eighth is the longest 

 of all the thoracic limbs. 



Abdomen somewhat compressed, especially the last four segments, 

 the first two with large pigmented marks, the third faintly blotched, the 



